Disposable receptacle for removing blades from a scalpel

ABSTRACT

A disposable device for removing a blade from the tang of a surgical scalpel on which the blade has been removably affixed, said device comprising a rectangular plastic receptacle at least partially vertically oriented and formed of two interlocking facing halves to define an axial recess extending from the upper face of the device to terminate above the lower end of the receptacle, said recess having internal ramps and projections which disengage the blade from the tang upon insertion of the blade and tang into the recess, followed by withdrawal of the scalpel tang.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of surgical instrumentsand more particularly to disposable devices adapted to remove a bladefrom a scalpel by simple insertion of the scalpel tang with its bladeinto the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the normal course of any surgical procedure, the surgeon may desireto have the blade on his scalpel changed numerous times since thesharpness of the blade is regarded as a prime prerequisite for effectivesurgery.

Initially, replaceable blades were removed manually, either by thesurgeon or one of his assistants. Such manual removal of the blades hasalways presented the danger of a "slip" during the removal process whichslip could result in cutting the flesh of the surgeon or other personundertaking the blade removal and replacement. With the advent of thedanger presented by exposure to blood which may be contaminated by theHIV virus, those who may be involved in removing scalpel blades havebecome particularly sensitive to the possibility of being cut by a bladewhich may have been subjected to contact with contaminated blood.Consequently, attention has been given to devising means for effectiveblade removal other than manually. Thus, since at least 1981, a numberof devices have been proposed to enable a surgeon to remove a blade froma scalpel without the necessity of digital contact with a possiblycontaminated blade. Examples of such prior art efforts may be seen inthe following United States patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,168,777,4,270,416, 4,344,532, 4,395,807, 4,466,539, 4,730,376, 4,903,390 and5,163,553.

However, despite the teachings of these patents, the present inventor inhis work as a surgeon has not found any devices made in accordance withthe teachings of these patents commercially available for one reason oranother. Whether this is due to complexity, expensive cost ofmanufacture or ineffectiveness, has not been determined. However, theneed exists for an inexpensive effective disposable blade removingdevice, and that need has not been satisfied prior to the presentinvention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a heavy steel base which may be slottedto receive a plurality of removable vertically projecting disposableplastic blade removing elements. The base is preferably made of a twopart steel block, one part of which is milled to receive and securelyretain the upper portion of the plastic element, with the second part ofthe steel block being milled to receive a laterally projecting bottomflange which prevents the element from being moved out of the slots inthree of the four possible directions of movement. The two blockportions are secured together, preferably by threaded elements.

The disposable blade removing element is formed as a rectangularreceptacle comprised of a first elongated half and a second elongatedhalf which are brought together and secured to each other. The twohalves define a single recess which extends from the top end of therectangular receptacle down toward the bottom end. The recess in thefirst half of the receptacle is configured in cross section closely toconform to a portion of the lower face of the scalpel tang and the blademounted thereon, and terminates in a wall at which the recess isexpanded to form half of a rectangular channel in the center of aportion of which is provided a ramped ridge. The other half of thereceptacle defines a registering recess. The recess in the second halfof the receptacle is configured to provide an initial rectangularsection which extends for a short distance at the end of which a pair ofparallel side ramps are provided, being spaced apart from each other bythe width of the scalpel tang. A short distance thereafter, the recessin the second half of the receptacle is configured to define with theother half of the receptacle, a rectangular channel into which a removedblade will be deposited.

With the recess and ramps thus described, upon inserting a bladecarrying scalpel into the top of the rectangular receptacle, thetrailing portion of the blade is initially pulled off the rear of thetang island by the spaced-apart ramps in the second half of thereceptacle; and further insertion of the tang and blade into the recessin the receptacle results in the remaining forward portion of the bladebeing detached from the tang by the ramp of the central ridge in thefirst half of the receptacle with a tactile release and a clicking soundbeing heard to indicate that removal of the blade from the tang has beencompleted; whereupon the tang, without the blade, may be withdrawn fromthe top of the receptacle.

After each receptacle in the steel block retainer has received adetached blade, the receptacles may be withdrawn from the steel blockretainer and disposed of, and new receptacles may be replaced in theblock.

Because of the ability of the surgeon to feel the blade release and theclicking sound which occurs upon detachment of the blade from thescalpel tang, the surgeon or other person who may have inserted thebladed scalpel into the receptacle will know immediately that the bladehas been detached from the scalpel tang so that the latter may bewithdrawn from the opening in the receptacle. The steel block may beprovided with any number of receptacles receiving recesses.

Since the receptacle is formed in two halves, these halves may be formedin multi-cavity molds and brought together and secured together byadhesive, or otherwise. Further, the receptacle halves may be formed ofan inexpensive rigid polystyrene or other inexpensive plastic material.As so fabricated, they may be disposed of without regard to expense.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of thereceptacle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the receptacle of FIG. 1 in which thetwo halves have been exploded at right angles.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the scalpel showing a blade attached inphantom.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken through the center of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 but showing the blade end of the scalpelbeing inserted in the recess from the top of the receptacle.

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 4 but showing the scalpel tang being withdrawnfrom the recess after the blade has been detached from the tang.

FIG. 7 is a miniaturized perspective view of a receptacles holding blockshowing the manner in which receptacles are inserted and held for use inremoving blades from scalpels.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the receptacle 10 of the present inventionis formed as an elongated rectangular block of two halves 12 and 14. Thehalf 12 is provided with a bottom footing 16, the function of which willbe hereinafter explained. The two halves 12 and 14 are brought togetheralong their side edges 18 and 20 which preferably lie in a commonvertical plane (not shown) The two halves 12 and 14 are internallymolded to form a recess 22 which commences at the top face 24 of therectangular receptacle 10 and extends downwardly to a planar bottom 25which is spaced from the bottom face 26 of the receptacle 10. Thisrecess 22 comprises two internal recess configurations 28 and 30 formedin the two halves 12 and 14, respectively, of the receptacle 10. Therecesses 28 and 30, as may be seen from FIG. 2, are quite different inconfiguration.

The recess 28 commences with a rectilinear slot 32 which extendsdownwardly for a short predetermined distance as defined by the steps 34and 36. At the lower ends of the slot 32 and the steps 34 and 36, therecess 28 is then deepened for the balance of the cavity down to thebottom 25. However, commencing a further predetermined distance(approximately 1/2 inch from the lower ends of the steps 34, 36 and theslot 32) is provided a central ramp 38 which rises to the level of thefaces 40, 42 of the side walls 44, 46 of the half element 12, andcontinues as a ridge 48 to within a 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch from thebottom 25 of the recess 28.

The internal configuration of the other half 14 of the receptacle 10 isquite different from that of the half 12. A passage 50 of a lengthapproximating the length of the steps 34 and 66 is provided, at thelower portion of which arise a pair of ramps 52, 54 spaced from eachother by a distance equal to the width of the slot 32 in the receptaclehalf 12. The rise on these ramps may extend for approximately 1/4 to 3/8of an inch, terminating in platforms 56, 58 which lie in the plane ofthe faces 60, 62 of the side walls 64, 66 of the element 14. The extentof the platforms 56 and 58 may be of the order of a 1/16 to 1/8 of aninch following which the recess 30 assumes the shape of a cavitycorresponding to that of 28 in half 12 except for having no ramp 38 andridge 40, and extends down to its lower end 25' which coincides with thebottom 25 of the cavity 28 in the half element 12.

The two halves 12 and 14 are brought together and adhered along theirside wall faces 40, 62 to form the rectangular receptacle shown inFIG. 1. To ensure proper alignment at the times of bringing the twofaces 40 and 62 together for adherence, it may be desirable to provideprotruding peg-like elements 68, 68' for insertion in mating orifices70, 70'. Such elements and orifices could be formed to enable the twohalves 12 and 14 to interlock and thereby eliminates the necessity ofsecuring the two halves together by adherence.

After a plurality of receptacles 10 have been assembled and the twohalves securely adhered together by an adhesive (not shown), they areready for insertion in a base block 72 formed of steel in two sections74 and 76 as shown in FIG. 7. The section 74 is provided with slots 78each being configured to slideably receive in a firm fit three sides ofa receptacle 10 as shown in FIG. 7. To complete the fit, the lowerportion of the steel base block 72 is cut laterally to form a slot 80extruding parallel to 10 the slot 78, thereby to receive the footing 16of the receptacle 10. The two halves 74, 76 of the block are broughttogether and secured in the overlying position shown in FIG. 7 by screws82. Alternatively, the base block 72 could be cast or milled as a singlepiece.

In use, after a plurality of receptacles 10 have been securely insertedin the steel base block 72 in the manner last described, the removal ofa blade 84 from the tang 86 of a scalpel 88 may readily be accomplishedin the manner shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings. Before insertionof a bladed scalpel tang, the receptacle 10 in vertical section appearsas shown in FIG. 4. To effect removal of the blade 84 from the tang 86,the tang 86 is pushed into the recess 22 through the passage 50 in thereceptacle half 14 and the slot 32 in the receptacle half 12, andfurther forced down over the ramps 52 and 54. These ramps serve to bendthe blade laterally to lift it off of the tang island 88 which securesthe blade to the tang 86 by the island 88 having been passed through aslot 90 in the blade 84. As the blade 84 is thus detached from the tangisland 88, there is produced a clicking sound, thereby indicating thatthe blade has been detached from the tang, and the surgeon can feel thatsuch detachment has occurred. Upon reversing the direction of the tang86 in the recess 22 to withdraw it, the upper end 84' of the blade 84will strike the inner ends 34' and 36' (not shown) of the steps 34, 36,respectively, thereby retaining the blade 84 will then drop back intothe cavity 89 comprised of the two half cavities 28 and 30.

With withdrawal of the tang 86, the latter may then be provided with areplacement blade and the discarded blade 84 left in the receptacle 10where it has been deposited. At any convenient point in the course ofthe surgery or thereafter, the receptacle 10 carrying the discardedblade 84 may be slid out of the slots 78, 80 and the steel block 72 anddiscarded. Thereby, it is unnecessary for the surgeon or any assistantto touch the blade to accomplish its removal from the scalpel tang 86.The latter may then be scrubbed with disinfectant or autoclaved before areplacement blade is affixed to the tang 86 which, at the present time,is accomplished manually. Also, after all receptacles 10 have beenremoved from the steel base block 72, the latter may also be autoclavedor otherwise sterilized.

A particular advantage of the receptacle and its mounting blade of thepresent invention is the fact that when detachment of the blade has beeneffected, upon insertion of the bladed tang into the receptacle recess,a clicking sound is produced, thereby to indicate that the scalpel tangmay be withdrawn from the receptacle.

I claim:
 1. A device for removing a blade from the tang of a surgicalscalpel, the scalpel including an elongated gripping section having abutt end and an oppositely extending tang end, the tang end beingflattened with a first upper face and a second opposite lower face, thefaces being joined in parallel register along their sides by edgesnormal to the faces, the first upper face having an elongated upwardlyprotruding boss coincident with the upper face and extending for a firstpredetermined distance, the boss having a forward end and an after end,and side edges, the side edges of the boss having slotting commencing atthe forward end of the boss, the slotting initially being parallel tothe upper face of the tang and angling rearwardly and upwardly toterminate at the after end of the boss; and a blade, the blade beingconfigured for mounting on the first upper face of the tang to extendfurther axially beyond the tang and laterally from the side edges of thetang, the blade having an elongated opening comprising a forward sectionof a width to accommodate the slotted forward end of the boss and awider after section to accommodate the after section of the boss,whereby the after section in the opening in the blade may be placed overthe boss on the tang and the blade mounted on the tang by sliding theblade rearwardly to cause the slotting in the side edges of the boss toreceive the forward section of the blade opening and to seat the bladein the upwardly extending slotting terminating at the after end of theboss, said device comprising:a rectangular receptacle at least partiallyvertically oriented, said receptacle being comprised of a firstelongated half and a second elongated half secured to each other inregister to form a unitary block with a rectangular forward end, each ofsaid halves being recessed axially inwardly from said forwardrectangular end, the recess in the first half being configured for asecond predetermined distance in a cross section closely conforming ofthe lower face of the tang and the blade mounted on the tang, andterminating in a wall beyond which wall a portion of the recess, as itextend further axially, is expanded to a rectangular configuration toreceive a blade after detachment from the tang, said expanded portion ofthe recess having a centrally disposed ramp rising from a point a thirdpredetermined distance from the wall and extending toward the bottom ofthe recess; the recess in the second half of the receptacle beingconfigured to provide an initial rectangular passage for said secondpredetermined distance at the end of which passage is provided a pair ofparallel side ramps spaced apart from each other by the width of thetang, said ramps rising for the third predetermined distance from theend of the initial rectangular passage to the level of the upper edge ofthe second half of the receptacle, each of said ramps terminating in avertical wall which wall a portion of the recess is fully expanded tothe approximate cross section of its initial rectangular passage; saidfirst and second receptacle halves, when secured to each other withtheir recesses in register, serving to remove the blade from the tang ofthe scalpel when the blade is inserted into the receptacle through theregistering initial portions of the recesses of its first and secondhalves, and the blade mounted on the tang has been pushed as far aspossible into the recesses, and the tang is withdrawn when thereceptacle is held firmly in a position against axial or lateralmovement, whereupon the blade is detached from the tang, so that uponwithdrawing the scalpel tang from the receptacle, the blade is leftdeposited in the recesses in the two registering halves of thereceptacle; and means to removably secure the receptacle in an at leastpartially vertical orientation.
 2. The device as described in claim 1,wherein the means to removably secure the receptacle is a metal block,each said block having at least one slot extending inwardly from a sideof the block, each said slot being at least partially verticallyoriented and configured and dimensioned to receive the lower end of thereceptacle in a fit which prevents movement of the receptacle in alldirections except the direction toward the side of the block from whichthe slot extends.
 3. The device as described in claim 2 wherein the baseof each slot is recessed laterally, and the bottom end of the receptacleis provided with a laterally projecting flange adapted to extend intoand along each lateral recess in the base of the slot.
 4. The device asdescribed in claim 3 wherein the metal block is comprised of first andsecond steel sections, the first section being placed one on top of thesecond section, the first section being milled to provide at least onereceptacle and slot, and the second section defining the bottom of eachslot and receptacle, and both sections being secured together byfastening means.